Stay in Touch
by Writer Of Worlds
Summary: Adopted from ManaketeSmoocher. Roy is determined to stay in touch with his lover, Marth Lowell, in the war he was thrown into. Marth x Roy. Set pre and during Brawl. Slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Stay in Touch**

 **Fandom: Super Smash Bros.**

 **Rating: K+**

 **Genre: Romance**

 **Summary: Adopted from ManaketeSmoocher. Roy is determined to stay in touch with his lover, Marth Lowell, in the war he was thrown into. Marth x Roy. Set pre and during Brawl. Slash.**

 **Pairings: Marth x Roy**

 **A/N: Heya friends! My good friend, ManaketeSmoocher, wrote this a long time ago, but they lost motivation to continue it, so they let me adopt it so I could rewrite it and hopefully complete it. I must warn you though: moving is a PAIN, not only that, but I'm going to apply for a job, so my writing schedule is gonna be limited a bit.**

 **Disclamier: I don't own anyone in Super Smash Bros.**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Stay in Touch**

 **Chapter 1**

The Brawl tournament had finally began. Just now, the Hands were done sending invitations to potential newcomers, and in a few days, they would finally arrive to be introduced to the veteran Smashers.

However, there were many complications along the way. Not only was the tournament delayed three times, but there would be some Smashers who would not join the others in the fray. Both the Hands wished it didn't come to this, but a few Smashers had their reasons to not return.

Young Link had to leave due to problems back in his world. He didn't specify what they were, but he said that he might not return to any more future tournaments. The children Smashers were obviously upset to see their friend go, but they said their farewells to Young Link, and before they knew it, the boy disappeared to return to his world.

Pichu―that adorable little guy―had to leave thanks to his extremely young age. Since the incident where Bowser almost crushed the Pokémon to death in one match, the Hands were forced to return the baby Pokémon back to his Trainer for the little guy's safety. Pichu was saddened to say goodbye to his playmates and "uncle" Pikachu, but his Trainer―a Day Care worker―promised that she'd bring him back to visit his friends.

Dr. Mario decided to quit being a Smasher to focus on his medical studies. He remained in the Smash Hospital, taking care of of any patients who needed him. He suggested to the Hands that if needed, he could return to the fray someday.

Mewtwo...simply disappeared without a trace. Last time the others saw him, he said that he "sensed" that something was wrong in his world. The next day, without telling anyone, he disappeared. The Hands were unable to contact the Legendary Pokémon, so they simply let him go.

And then there was Roy. The young redhead was given an urgent letter written by his father, Eliwood. Apparently, a war had broken out between Roy's country, Pherae, and Bern. As the duke of Pherae, Roy naturally grew worried for his country, so he _had_ to return to his world. This had hurt Marth more than he thought.

Marth and Roy became best friends when they first joined the Melee tournament. Marth couldn't speak English, therefore he couldn't communicate with others, making him friendless and alienated. That was, until Roy had joined. Like Marth, Roy also couldn't speak English―only Japanese―and the two hit it off well. The two worked together to master the English language, and they succeeded, even impressing Bowser and Ganondorf with their fluent English. It was like they spoke the difficult language all their lives.

However, during the last few years, Marth started to fall for Roy. The currently single Hero King was hesitant, since back in his world, his country wanted him to marry a female and produce heirs. There was one problem, however: Marth was gay. Even though Caeda―the poor girl―admitted she had feelings for Marth, the then prince didn't return the feelings, saying that he'd rather stay as good friends. Thankfully, Caeda was fine with it...at least, from what he saw.

Now, Marth entered his and Roy's room. Soon, this would be Roy's _former_ room. Inside, Roy had already packed his belongings in suitcases. The fifteen-year-old boy's head shot up when he heard the door opening, and he cracked a small smile when he saw Marth.

"Hey Marth," Roy greeted.

Even though it sounded like a casual greeting to anyone else, Marth could tell there was a hint of sadness in his voice. Marth knew what he was thinking: he had to leave all the friends he made in the tournament behind―and if something happened to him in battle, he would never see them again. Marth wished that he had the ability to tell the future. Who knew what could happen to Roy as he rushed into death and destruction?

"Hello," Marth greeted back. "This...would be the last time I'd see you again, isn't it?" Marth gritted his teeth when he was done speaking. Of course, he was confident in Roy's ablilities and skills―he had saw and even fought Roy to see how the redhead fared―but he knew that Roy hated bloodshed. If he could, he would stay out of the raging war, but Roy _needed_ to be there.

Roy chuckled. "Oh come on, Marth. Have a little faith in me."

"I do, but I'm worried for you. If I lose you, I would―"

"Marth, please…" Roy's voice cracked when he spoke, taking Marth by surprise. He never heard or even saw Roy get emotional; the boy was usually calm and collected. Perhaps him leaving to fight to the death was beginning to take its toll on him?

"Roy…" Marth whispered, gulping. "Forgive me for what I had said. I _do_ have faith in you. It's just that―I mean―what if you don't return? What if you perished in the war? I―"

Before Marth could finish his sentence, Roy ran up to him and hugged him tightly. Marth raised an eyebrow, hesitating to hug his friend. The two never showed physical affection. They usually shook hands and fistbump, since Marth felt that Roy only saw him as a good friend.

 _Does he…? Does he actually…?_

Roy said it all, confirming what Marth was thinking. "I love you, Marth."

Now Marth was flabbergasted. He never expected to hear those words come out of Roy's mouth. With a smile while also holding back tears, he held Roy back, whispering in his ear, "I love you too, Roy…"

Roy let Marth go and looked up at the Hero King's sapphire eyes, and before the two of them knew it, their lips were smashed together in a passionate kiss. It felt like an eternity―which the two honestly wished it was that long―that their lips stayed together until they had to catch their breaths. Marth stared down at Roy, studying his lover's freckled and dorky face.

That was when they heard a loud knock on the door. "Roy," the two recognized Master Hand's deep and booming voice. "Are you ready?"

"Just a second, sir Master Hand!" Roy called.

The redhead turned to pick up his luggage, and he faced Marth and smiled. "Stay in touch?" Roy asked.

Marth nodded even before Roy could finish his sentence. "Stay in touch. Take care, Roy."

"Thanks, Marth. Love you!"

With that, Roy walked towards the door and opened it, and there, Master Hand was waiting for him. As the Hand escorted Roy out of the Mansion, the redhead kept looking back at Marth, as if studying his lover's figure and face one last time. If Roy was rushing to his death, at least he could still remember what Marth looked like.

Marth watched them go, not taking his eyes off of Roy until his lover was out of sight. Like Roy, Marth wanted to see what he looked like one last time in case death indeed took Roy away from him.

The tears then started once Roy and Master Hand were gone.

Marth quickly shut the door and ran to his bed. He didn't bother looking at Roy's old bed; it would make Roy's departure even more painful if he even glanced at it.

He jumped on his bed, burying his face in his pillow. Letting out a muffled sob, Marth gripped his pillow tightly, his mind racing of thoughts of his lover. Even though he had _finally_ confessed his love to Roy, he wished he had admitted it earlier. He didn't expect to hear that Roy shared his feelings. He didn't expect Roy to leave so soon. Now, Roy's life was in the hands of the Gods and Goddesses―and the Grim Reaper.

 _Roy...I'll stay in touch with you. Please stay safe, and please return to me, my love._

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

" _Hey look! It's the fancy guy who couldn't speak a single word in English!"_

 _Marth sighed, ignoring Bowser and Ganondorf's taunts. Lately, the King had been alienated from the other Smashers, since he was the only one who could speak Japanese. Not only that, but the villains—Bowser and Ganondorf specifically—had been mocking his inability to speak English. When he first got the invitation to Smash, he thought that he'd make new friends—friends that he could trust and hang out with after his old friends were killed in the two wars he'd endured. However, he couldn't make a single Smasher even an acquaintance, and Marth was all alone._

 _Marth walked down the hallway towards his room, with the villains' taunting becoming less audible until it was completely gone. The Mansion was massive; many corridors and rooms were spread out, and according to Master Hand, apparently there were more rooms that were unoccupied. Marth wondered if there would be any more "newcomers" as Master Hand described._

 _When he found the door leading to his room, he was surprised to see that the plaque that showed his name was redesigned, adding a new name that he hadn't heard of before:_

Residence of

Marth Lowell

Roy of Pherae

 _Marth raised an eyebrow, wondering who this "Roy of Pherae" was. Was this person a newcomer that the other Smashers were talking about? Curious, he opened the door, and inside, a young teen, around the age of fifteen, was sitting on his own bed, pulling out his belongings from one of his suitcases. Upon hearing the door opening, the redhead looked up to see the King standing there._

 _Marth gulped when their eyes met. Marth was well known in his world, so he figured that this teen could be showering him with praise and even referring him to royalty. Not that Marth minded—it was the life of a King after all—but it still irked Marth inside that he was treated like he was a god._

"Hello," _Marth spoke in Japanese, bracing himself for Roy to fanboy over the famous King of Altea._

 _To his surprise, the boy smiled and greeted him back. To even more of his surprise, he greeted him in Japanese._

"I am Marth Lowell," _Marth spoke again._ "You must be Roy of Pherae."

"Yes," _Roy said, nodding as he continued,_ "Nice to meet you, Sir Marth."

"You don't have to call me that," _Marth reminded,_ "Marth is fine."

 _From that day forward, the two became very good friends._

* * *

Marth sighed, staring longingly at Roy's old bed. Every day, he replayed the memory of how he and Roy met, and each and every time, the King wanted his lover to return safely. He wondered: how was Roy doing, and was he doing well in the war?

With another sigh, he got up and grabbed all his belongings. He then placed them on Roy's side of the room, albeit a bit messily. If anyone— _anyone—_ was going to room with Marth, he refused to let them take Roy's old bed.

He laid in Roy's bed, taking in the scent of Roy's skin that was rubbed on the bed whenever the teen slept at night. Ever since Roy had gone to war, Marth had been trying to find ways to get him out of his depression. However, no matter what he did, _everything_ reminded him of his boyfriend, and Marth eventually stayed in his room, not even getting out for meals. The poor King had grown worse, even losing a couple of pounds off his already skinny body.

Marth _needed_ to get in touch with Roy. Otherwise, he'd go crazy.

When he walked outside to check on the mail, he saw an envelope addressed to Marth. His heart began to beat faster, and he grabbed the envelope and ripped it open, while also careful not to rip the paper inside.

To his disappointment, it was Caeda, Marth's close friend, writing to him asking how he was doing in the Smash Tournament.

Marth frowned, and without a second thought, he threw the letter and envelope into the nearby lake, and it was swept away by the water. He had his hopes up, only for it to be shot down when he got the letter. He didn't mean ill towards his friend, but he felt that he shouldn't respond to the letter; Caeda knew that he was doing well, so why did she bother?

With his head low, he walked back to the Mansion, muttering to himself. As he walked towards his room, he didn't realize he was heading straight to someone until he bumped into them. Marth snapped back into reality, and the person he bumped into turned to face him. It was Peach Toadstool, from the Mushroom Kingdom. The pink-clad princess smiled sweetly as she greeted in a high pitched, excited voice. "Hi Marth! Where have you been?"

Marth sighed, not wanting to talk at the moment. When he tried to walk away, Peach grabbed his arm tightly. Marth knew that grip well; her "death grip", and she would _not_ let go unless she got what she wanted.

"Nuh uh uh!" Peach said, shaking her finger left and right as she said that. "You are _not_ leaving until you tell me what's wrong, young man! You've been in your room the last couple of days, and even Link and Zelda are worried about you!"

Marth groaned loudly, ignoring Peach's glare. For someone who always got kidnapped every Wednesday, her grip on his arm was sure strong to the point that it became numb. Knowing there was no way out, Marth confessed, "My apologies, Princess Peach, for worrying you. It's just that...Roy's departure is—"

"I figured as much!" Peach interrupted, and Marth rewarded her with a glare. "I _knew_ that you and Roy are a thing!"

"Yes—wait what?!" Marth stopped when Peach said the last sentence. He kept the secret of him and Roy being together ever since Roy left. He had learned that in today's society, two men falling in love with each other was unacceptable and even frowned upon. How in the world did Peach knew this?

"Isn't it obvious?" Peach squealed. "You and Roy have been very, very, VERY close! I saw how you were blushing and stuttering whenever the two of you hang out! There's no denying it, Marth!"

"B-but—"

"Don't worry, Marthy," Peach giggled. "I'll keep it a secret for you!"

"Y-you will?" Marth stuttered. Although Peach was a talkative woman, he knew that she doesn't gossip or spread rumors. Ever since he learned how to speak English, him and Peach became good friends, and over the few years they spent together, he learned that the princess would _never_ spill a secret that her friends shared with her.

"Of course!" Peach cried. "Why? Don't you trust me, Marth?" she stared at the Hero King with sad, puppy eyes.

Marth chuckled before nodding. "Of course I do, Princess," Marth replied. "Just promise me not to tell _anyone_ about my little secret, okay?"

"I promise!" Peach cried. "Now...Master Hand had said to come to the Smash Auditorium in a few hours."

Marth raised an eyebrow. If the Hand wanted all the Smashers to come to the Auditorium, that meant there would be a huge announcement. Perhaps something pertaining to the Brawl tournament?

"All right, Princess," Marth said.

"You better leave a first impression!" Peach reminded him. "The newcomers don't want to meet a stinky King, right?"

Marth's eyebrow was raised even higher before he raised his arm to smell himself. His nose scrunched up upon smelling the odor. Apparently, over the few days he locked himself in his room, he forgot to shower.

"My apologies for my awful hygiene, Princess," Marth apologized. "I shall shower right away."

"Good!" Peach cried as she walked towards the kitchen, possibly to help Kirby and Crazy Hand with making the food for the newcomers. "See you there!"

Marth waved at the princess, and without hesitation, he ran into the men's restroom to take a nice, hot shower.

While he was washing himself, he remembered how the Hands had sent invitations to potential newcomers. Apparently, only half of them would be able to join the Tournament; the others were either too busy, or at the last minute, decided against it for various reasons.

Rumors spread around the Mansion, and the Smashers were ecstatic to meet the newcomers. However, there were rumors that the Smashers who left would be replaced. This bothered Marth more than needed. As he washed his hair, his thoughts then turned to Roy, and another thought about the replacement rumors flew in his mind.

What if Roy...was being replaced by someone?

* * *

A few hours later, and Marth arrived at the Smash Auditorium. To his surprise, he was one of the last Smashers who came in, along with Kirby and Peach. Kirby ran around the bleachers, handing out some food for the Smashers if they wanted, while also setting more food down on tables nearby for the newcomers. Marth wondered how the pink puffball had the willpower to not suck it all up, knowing that Kirby was a walking stomach wanting food constantly.

As Marth walked towards the bleachers, Peach met him. "Hi Marth!" she squealed so loud that Marth swore his eardrums burst.

"H-hello, Princess Peach," Marth greeted back.

"I can't wait to meet the newcomers!" Peach cried. "I wonder who they are, and what do they look like? Ooooh, what if they're amazing and strong and—"

"I get it, Peach," Marth interrupted. He didn't mean to be rude, but he wanted to save his ears from the screeching Peach was making.

Peach seemed to not mind Marth's rudeness, and the two sat together on an empty space of the bleachers. She called for Kirby, and the puffball immediately ran over with a box of food in his stubby hands.

"Two hot dogs, please!" Peach ordered sweetly, as if she was in a fast food joint. Kirby placed the box down, and he gave the two one hot dog each. The smell of the meat and bun hit Marth's nose, and his mouth watered. Apparently, Peach had taught Kirby and Crazy Hand a few things when it comes to cooking.

"Thank you!" Peach said, waving Kirby off. The puffball then left, handing out more food for the other Smashers.

As Peach and Marth ate their hot dogs, a few minutes later, Master Hand flew in front of the large screen. The Smashers all cheered and whistled as soon as the large Hand appeared.

"Thank you, everyone," Master Hand spoke in a surprisingly gentlemanly voice. When Marth fought against Master Hand in Classic Mode, the large Hand spoke in a frightening, distorted voice. Perhaps it was an effect in the battle against the Hands to make it more exciting? Though out of battle, Master Hand spoke in a friendly and soft tone, even keeping his booming voice down a lot for everyone's ears. Marth wondered what would happen if anyone angered Master Hand. He didn't want to think about that; it must had been frightening.

"It has finally come!" Master Hand announced in the microphone that was in front of him. "The newest tournament, Brawl, has been completed and ready for action!"

Cheers and applause all around, though Marth was the only one who wasn't doing that. However, he felt a nudge on his side, and he turned to Peach, who mouthed, "Clap and cheer!"

Marth reluctantly began to clap for the Brawl tournament. It didn't feel the same without Roy here, and he actually _hated_ it.

"Now...some of you wonder if there were any newcomers for this tournament," Master Hand said. "Well, they are finally here! Let me introduce you all to our newcomers!"

More cheers and applause, and Marth sighed. Since he was here now, he might as well meet the newcomers.

"From the Donkey Kong series, Diddy Kong!"

A monkey wearing a red shirt and hat swung into the stage, making monkey sounds. The crowd clapped and cheered, though the one who was excited the most was Donkey Kong. The two Kongs hugged and made loud ape noises. Marth covered his ears upon hearing the noisy sounds, which were deafening. Even though there were only two, the Kongs sure could make loud noises that could wake up a whole city.

"From the Kirby series, King Dedede and Meta Knight!"

There were only polite applause, though Kirby was the one to run up the stage to meet the fat penguin and the masked puffball. Being from the same series, the three knew each other for years, though Marth heard that Kirby had rivalries with the two. Were they friends or enemies?

"Replacing Mewtwo, Lucario from the Pokémon series, along with Pokémon Trainer Red with the help of Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard!"

Pokémon sounds and claps were heard from the Pokémon Smashers, with Pikachu letting out sparks everywhere. Thankfully, it didn't shock anyone or anything; that would've been disastrous like last time the newcomers were introduced in the Melee tournament.

"From the Earthbound series and joining Ness, Lucas!"

Lucas peeked from behind the large screen, and upon hearing the crowd cheer for him, he shyly smiled and waved. Ness was the one to meet him, shaking hands with the other boy, as if welcoming him to Smash.

"From the Pikmin series, Captain Olimar and his Pikmin!"

There were only polite applause. No one had heard of the small man, though they didn't want to make him feel not welcomed. Olimar waved, a smile on his face.

"From the Kid Icarus series, Pit!"

An angel with a surprisingly similar appearance to Roy flew down from the sky (or was it the ceiling?), and he waved at the Smashers. Mario, along with Link and Mr. Game & Watch, were the ones to meet him, with Mario crying out "It's-a been so long!"

Marth stared at the angel with disgust. Seeing the spiky brown hair and the blue eyes depressed him. He reminded Marth _too_ much of Roy. Was Pit the one who replaced Roy?

"R.O.B. is also here to join us!"

Again, polite claps. Apparently none of the Smashers heard of the robot as R.O.B appeared on the stage, waving in a robotic manner before going to his seat.

"Wario, from the Warioware series!"

Boos were heard from the crowd. When Wario appeared onstage, Marth's nose scrunched up in disgust. Did this man ever heard of a _bath_? At all?

Wario ignored the booing before he came to his seat, which comically, the other introduced newcomers moved away from thanks to his stench.

"Toon Link is replacing Young Link in this tournament!"

There was silence as the cartoon Link was on stage. Toon Link raised an eyebrow, wondering why there was no applause for him. That was when Link and Zelda began to clap. After a brief second, everyone else began to clap awkwardly, though the children Smashers, the Ice Climbers especially, were miffed to see their friend replaced by this cartoony version of Young Link.

"From the Star Fox series, Wolf O'Donne—"

Before Master Hand could finish, Fox and Falco began to boo. Wolf walked onto the stage, with a smug look on his face. Master Hand balled himself up into a fist, gesturing the two anthropomorphic space animals to be quiet or face the consequences. Fox and Falco immediately shut up. Marth couldn't help but chuckle at Fox and Falco's reactions when they saw their arch rival.

"And we also have two special guests who will be joining us!" Master Hand cried. "Everyone, meet...Snake from the Metal Gear series!"

Only polite applause. Everyone had heard of the man, but _none_ of them expected him to be here. Some of them wondered if he was even _allowed_ in the tournament, since his world was extremely violent.

"And also joining us, Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Immediately, boos were heard all around when Sonic ran on the stage. Comical, really. Sonic, however, took it all in stride. Being from SEGA, he understood why the Smashers would react this way. With a shrug, he ran towards his seat.

"...And that's all of the newcomers—"

Before Master Hand could finish his sentence, the door was suddenly opened, and walking in was a young, blue haired man, possibly around seventeen years old. He wore what appeared to be mercenary clothing, and he had a golden sword held in one hand.

"Sorry I'm late!" the man cried.

Marth studied him, recognizing the clothing as one from the Fire Emblem universe. Having blue hair also tipped him off he was from there as well. His eyes widened, realizing why he was here.

 _Don't tell me_ —

"Ah, Ike! I thought you weren't coming!" Master Hand said. "We have one more newcomer, everyone! Meet Ike from the Fire Emblem series, and replacing Roy this tournament!"

Marth had enough of this. He got up from his seat and walked out of the Auditorium, attracting many stares from both the veterans and newcomers. Peach's eyes widened upon seeing her friend rudely storming out of the Auditorium after Ike was introduced. Although she understood why he would react like that, she didn't expect to see him do something that was so rude towards the other blue haired man. She wanted to run after him, to stop him and to lecture him about what was he doing, but she decided against it. Marth needed time for himself.

* * *

Marth slammed the door open, an angry expression on his face as he jumped in Roy's bed. He began to beat the pillow, crying out, "He _replaced_ Roy! He replaced him!"

Marth couldn't believe it. Why would this Ike person replace Roy? Was he that coldhearted to do something like that?

After throwing the pillow at the wall, Marth began to calm down, wiping off the tears that threatened to fall. He glanced around his room, and what caught his eye was an envelope on his old bed. When Marth got up from the bed and walked towards his old one, he saw it was addressed to him. He grabbed the envelope, ripping the seal and pulling out a folded piece of paper. He smoothed it out, and his eyes widened when he saw who it was from.

It was from Roy.

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _Dear Marth,_

 _I spent so many minutes trying to think of an adorable nickname for you, but from what I came up with, I discovered that wasn't my best ability, heh. I am so sorry that it took weeks for me to get in touch with you. I had to make sure that the address to the Mansion was correct and that no one else would find it while it was being delivered. Thankfully, Wolt took the time to send it to the nearest delivery boy, and hopefully he took care of it from there._

 _It feels strange going back to not having technology. I honestly miss watching television and playing video games with the kids, but hey, at least I'm not facing against guns! I really miss you, you know, love? Every time I'm alone, I keep thinking that you're there with me, and I held out my hand so I could grab yours, only in disappointment that you're not there. It's sad, to say the least. How are you doing? Are you fighting in the Brawl tournament now? Don't tell me you've been writing over a hundred letters to me. I know that you always made sure that your letters or even your writing is perfect, you silly goose, hahahaha. I'm doing well myself. I can't say much, because we're at war, and if any of our enemies find these letters revealing important information...that wouldn't be good at all. I'd rather be embarrassed if they find my sappy letters than have them ambush us and kill us. Could you imagine though? If they saw the letters of me being all adorable and sappy to you? Hehe._

 _Anyway, we have to move. I can't wait to read your response, love. And if you're worried about me...don't be. I promise I'll come back to you in one piece. You have faith in me, right?_

 _Take care, Marth._

 _Love, Roy."_

Marth felt excitement rushing through him, and he couldn't help but blush at Roy being all cute. He read the letter, every word and every character, carefully over a hundred times. Each and every time, his heart pounded faster in his chest. A grin began to form on his face as he read the letter for the hundredth time. Finally, he grabbed his paper and pencil and sat on the desk that was on the far right end of the room, and began his response. He could still smell the alcohol and the candle-wax on his hands from touching the envelope as he wrote down his response.

* * *

All of the Smashers, along with Master Hand, stared at the door where Marth left from, with some of them confused. Ike was especially confused, wondering what he had done wrong that caused Marth to leave like that. Although he'd never met the King before, he still felt terrible if he did _anything_ wrong. He just arrived here, and he was sure that Marth didn't know much about him either. What in the world could had happened?

"That...was uncalled for," Master Hand finally broke the silence. The Smashers and the Newcomers turned their heads to face the large hand, and Master Hand continued, "Anyway—"

"Um..." Peach spoke up, her hand raised as if she was in class asking a question. Master Hand looked towards the pink princess, and Peach continued, "May I speak about Marth's rude behavior?"

Master Hand gave her a thumbs-up before saying, "Of course, Ms. Peach. Go right ahead."

"That was Marth Lowell, the Hero King of Altea," Peach began, as she locked eyes with Ike. The young blue-haired mercenary stared right back at her, waiting to hear about why Marth had showed such an impression.

"When you, Master Hand, said that Ike was replacing Roy, he was...upset. Marth and Roy are extremely close, and Marth is still hurt when Roy had to leave for a big war."

Ike's eyes widened. He heard of this "Roy", but he paid no mind about him until now. Now he realized why Marth acted rudely towards the mercenary; Marth was still hurt from Roy's departure, and not only that, but his friend was going through a big war as they speak. He understood that; he too went through a war with his mercenary group, and he'd still remembered the pain he'd felt when he lost his father…

"I'm _so_ sorry for how Marth reacted towards you, Ike," Peach apologized. "He's just upset, is all. You guys should give him a chance—eventually, he'll warm up to you, especially you, Ike."

Ike smiled slightly and nodded at Peach. Now he got it, and even though he was still a bit angry at Marth's rudeness, he didn't blame the Hero King. He had to admit however: he didn't want to replace anyone in this tournament. In fact, he wasn't aware that he was replacing _anyone._ It bothered him how Master Hand didn't say until now that he was replacing someone.

"Plus..." Zelda began suddenly, "Marth and Roy are in love."

"EWWWWW!" one of the kid Smashers cried out. "They're both guys though!"

Peach had no idea who said that, but she knew that if she found out who it was, she would scold them harshly, or better yet, give them a taste of metal and leftover pancakes with her frying pan. She figured it was one of the children Smashers, so she glared at the group of kids in one part of the bleachers, and most of them looked back at her curiously. One of them, however, immediately turned his head away from Peach. Ness. Peach reminded herself that when they face each other in the tournament, she'd beat him to a pulp with her famous frying pan to teach him a lesson. Had his parents _ever_ taught him manners, or better yet, that love was love no matter who it was?

Wait a minute...how in the world did _Zelda_ of all people knew this? Was she watching Marth and Roy the whole time before Roy left? She looked at her best friend, and Zelda realized her mistake. Her face turned into a red mess, and she covered her mouth with her hands. "Forgive me, Peach...that was rash of me," Zelda said.

Peach shook her head. "It's okay, Zelda. It happens to the best of us!"

"Thank you for the clear-up, Peach," Master Hand continued. "Anyway, that concludes the introductions to the newcomers! Everyone, treat them kindly and with opened arms! Anyway, to continue, we have Assist Trophies, along with new Pokemon, coming in about a few minutes, so be prepared for more introductions! As for Dr. Mario, he will no longer be fighting alongside you for now, but he will continue taking care of any of you if you end up getting sick..."

Peach sighed, leaning her elbow on the railing of the bleachers as Master Hand continued his long winded speech, with Crazy Hand joining in with his brother on occasion.

She half listened, half thought about Marth. _I wonder how he's doing?_

* * *

 _Dearest Roy,_

 _I have to say that nicknames aren't my strong suit either. Is it okay if I can call you love? I think it suits you. I'm surprised that the delivery boy knew his way around the Mansion. I found your letter on my bed! I'm also surprised that he managed to find a way to the Smash world at all. Usually, we use some teleportation device to get from here to other worlds. I'm glad that you're going strong in the war. If I heard of your death, I would be heartbroken. I would never forgive myself if you ever die on me, Roy._

 _I miss you so much, Roy. Every waking hour, I always spent thinking about you and all the times we had together. Heh, I doubt my number of writing and being unsatisfied with my letters were up to a hundred. It's more to a thousand honestly. How in the world did you know that I've been trying to write letters? You little cutie, hahaha. I know this sounds forward, but...I've been thinking about settling down once you return to me. I know we've only spent a few minutes as a couple, but I think we should combine our countries together (please don't think of a silly stupid name for our combined countries. We both know that you're awful at that, hahahaha) and get married. During my days thinking of you, Roy, I always wonder what our future would be like married together and having children (or more likely adopt). I'm willing to bet that it would be fantastic, spending my life with you. Ah...my apologies if I sounded too forward._

 _I hope that you're doing well in the war as I wrote this. I prayed for your safety every night, and I hope my prayers are with you. Please promise me to be as safe as possible, love._

 _Love, Marth._

 _P.S. I hope you're not drinking and I hope you're still sleeping at night as needed. I could smell the wine and candle-wax on the parchment! I recommend you shouldn't do that; I'd hate to hear that you were killed in a skirmish because you were half asleep and drunk on the battlefield._

Marth read his response over a million times, and he felt satisfied with his writing. With a smile, he ran out of the Mansion and found the mailman at the post office; just in time. To Marth, the mailman was like an angel coming from the heavens, and the sunlight that shone on him made it that way.

"Sir!" Marth called. The mailman stopped placing the mail in the post office, and he turned to face the Hero King. With a welcoming smile, he waved at him.

Marth handed him the envelope. "I'd like for you to deliver this," he said.

The mailman nodded before he took the envelope containing the letter and placed it in his bag. "Yes sire," the mailman responded with a nod, and just like that, a purple portal appeared beside him. The mailman casually walked into the portal, and when the portal closed, the man disappeared.

Marth heaved a sigh before he returned to the Mansion, and stretching, he laid on his—which was Roy's—bed, happy as can be that Roy had finally sent in a letter to him.

To him, he felt like his whole being was fulfilled just from a single letter, and he hoped that Roy would write to him again sometime this week.

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Even though Marth left a bad impression towards the newcomers (Ike especially), the newcomers were quite surprised that Marth was actually kindhearted and friendly. While he wasn't as social as, say, Peach, Marth welcomed them with opened arms and a small smile. Even Wario and Sonic were given the same treatment, and although Wario didn't show it himself, they appreciated his warm welcome despite how he had acted during the introductions.

However, the two people that Marth still disliked were Ike and Pit. While the other Smashers didn't understand why he acted so rudely towards the two, Peach was the only one who knew why. While she does want to let the King know that the way he was acting towards them were hurtful and downright immature, she kept her mouth shut—she could see _why_ Marth reacted bitterly towards the two. While Ike apparently understood it, Pit, on the other hand, was quite confused, but didn't say much of it, instead shrugging it off.

As Peach tried to teach the Hero King how to cook, she brought the two newcomers up. "You should really try talking to them," she suggested.

Marth turned to face the pink princess, a frown forming on his face. Of course, he couldn't avoid them forever, but he was still upset with them. He shook his head as he looked down at the carrots he was cutting for the special dinner for the newcomers.

"You know, Ike's not bad at all. We talked a little bit, but he seems like a nice person. It's not really his fault that he replaced Roy."

"Peach..." Marth sighed as he looked over at his friend, still cutting the carrots. "Roy hasn't been replaced. There is an empty space where he used to be..."

"Then why do you keep on hating Ike and Pit?" Peach tilted her head. "I knew you're better than that, Marth. You're usually the one who would _never_ hold a grudge against someone. Not even the two wars you went through had you like this..."

Marth groaned, not wanting his past to be brought up like this. Even though he didn't show it, he still held a grudge against Gra for causing the two wars in the first place. He decided that despite the bloodshed, he wouldn't stay angry towards them—it would do no good for him if he acted out on his grudges.

"It's just that..." Marth explained as he placed the knife down on the cutting board. "It felt like Roy was taken away from me all of a sudden. Where I am, everyone wanted me to produce an heir, but… as you may already know, I don't swing that way. While I did hear that male and male relationships are frowned upon in the modern world, I feel that I was free because Roy was always there for me despite that… but now he's gone, and I felt that he took some of my freedom with him..."

"I understand," Peach frowned. "But that doesn't mean you show off that attitude back in the Auditorium, young man!"

"...My apologies for how I acted back there, Peach," Marth apologized as he picked up the knife again and continued cutting the vegetables. "I… wasn't in a good mood at the time—" When he said that, he felt a small sting on his index finger, and he hissed in pain as he moved his left hand away from the cutting board. Peach gasped, placing her hands on her mouth in fake shock.

"Oh my," Peach gasped. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"..." Marth glanced down at his finger, and saw a small trickle of blood coming out from there, thanks to the knife. At least he didn't cut off his _whole_ finger. He should listen to Peach's advice and pay attention to his work before he could lose a hand.

"That is a bad cut, Mr. Lowell!" Peach scolded him with a smile on her face. "You're bleeding heavily! I think you're going to die! We must see Dr. Mario this instant!"

Marth couldn't help but show a small smile. While he had been moping around, Peach tried her hardest to cheer him up. He was quite happy that they were friends—and not because her tea parties were enjoyable. She was quite fun to hang out with, and whenever he had problems, she was always there to lend an ear.

"See?" Peach giggled. "I _knew_ that smile would come out eventually!"

Marth chuckled, rubbing the back of his blue head. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up, Peach..." he thanked her.

"No problem! Now, you should take care of that cut before it gets infected!" Peach pointed out.

"But what about your cooking lessons—"

"Would you rather have your blood all over the vegetables?"

Marth sighed, shaking his head at the woman. "All right, all right..."

With that, he walked out of the Cafeteria, where he could overhear Peach talking to Crazy Hand. He could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation—something about how Crazy Hand had made yet _another_ fire while he was trying to make the soup, and Peach's loud groaning. He could only smile and chuckle slightly—apparently he wasn't the only one who needed cooking lessons.

* * *

Marth had took care of his cut, and he was heading to his room. Though when he arrived, he frowned upon seeing that the plaque was newly designed, removing Roy's name and replacing it with…

 _Residence of:_

 _Marth Lowell_

 _Ike Greil_

Marth sighed, shaking his head, as his depression rose up again. There was _no_ way he was going to let Ike replace Roy this way, and even though Peach had told him that it wasn't Ike's fault, he couldn't help but feel quite upset at this, with his lower lip sticking out and his eyes narrowing at the plaque. Part of him said that he should rip the plaque out from the door, but another part of him said to not do so, that Master Hand wouldn't appreciate him destroying the property of the Mansion. Thankfully, he listened to his latter part.

He entered his room, and sighed when he saw that Roy's bed was intact. He'd rather have his _own_ bed be taken instead of Roy's.

He closed the door and sat on Roy's bed, burying his face in his hands. Even though it was only a few days since Marth had sent his response to Roy's last letter, he couldn't help but worry. The war apparently was serious from what he read in his lover's letter, and he grew even more worried for Roy's safety. What if he was captured and tortured? What if Roy was seriously hurt? He would _never_ forgive himself if any of those scenarios ever happened. In fact, he yearned to go over to Pherae and help Roy in the war. He wouldn't care if he had to leave the tournament; Roy's safety was what mattered to him—

 _Knock knock knock._

Marth jumped at the knocking on the door. He turned to face the door, but didn't bother to open it. He didn't have time to talk to anyone.

"Go away," he muttered.

Apparently, the unknown visitor didn't hear this or they flat-out ignored his muttering, as they opened the door and entered. When Marth looked up, his heart almost stopped.

It was Ike. The other blue-haired man appeared to be somewhat taller than Marth—and also muscular. Then again, he did drag a two-handed sword around with just one hand. Despite the tension in the air, Ike had a small smile on his face.

However, Marth growled, his teeth gritting. Every time he looked at the blue-haired mercenary, his depression grew much worse from there. To Marth, it felt both uncomfortable and hurtful, seeing that the person who replaced his Roy from the tournament was just standing here, being all friendly.

"Get out," Marth growled, totally ignoring Ike's raised brow. "I refuse to room with you. Go find someone else."

Ike stared at the Hero King, as if he was in shock that the friendly man—which he had heard from the newcomers—reacted towards him. But Ike didn't move. Marth opened his mouth to shout at the other man to get out, but that was until he glanced down at Ike's hand and noticed the envelope.

"Sorry," Ike apologized. "Just wanted to give this to you." He handed Marth the envelope.

With his glare still on his face, Marth took the envelope forcefully from Ike's hand without a single thank you. Ike, however, didn't seem to mind as he turned to leave the room, possibly to the Cafeteria to get some meat and maybe chat with Link. From what Link had told Marth, the two became quick friends. Marth wasn't sure why they hit it off so well—but he decided not to question it as he opened the envelope, recognizing the parchment. His expression changed into a large smile when he saw Roy's messy scrawl on there.

Without hesitation, he began reading the letter, as his mind raced on how to respond to each and every word that was written there.

* * *

Ike was usually the one who wouldn't take rudeness kindly, but after hearing Marth's side of the story from Peach, he could see why. Granted, it wasn't his fault that he "replaced" his lover, but he could still understand why Marth was still hurt by the whole replacement thing. He honestly wished that he was told that he was replacing someone; in his opinion, it felt wrong to do such a thing, even though it was Master Hand's decision. He wouldn't be in this tournament in the first place if he was told this.

But it was too late now. And all he could do was shrug it off. In fact, if Link didn't want another roommate (he does have Toon Link as his current roommate) for the week until Marth calmed down, he'd be fine sleeping on the couch. He just hoped that the Hands wouldn't mind.

He entered the Cafeteria, where the newcomers gathered for a special dinner. To his delight, meat of all kinds sat on the long table, and he immediately chowed down. He doesn't know what he liked about meat, but my GODS were they delicious.

"Hey Ike!"

Ike turned his head to face the voices behind him, a piece of meat on the side of his mouth, and he waved at Link and Pit. Upon closer inspection on Pit, apparently the angel had been eating a lot—crumbs were on his face, and even on his hair. He never knew that he would have a huge appetite that would rival Kirby's or even Wario's.

"Hey," Ike greeted as he swallowed the meat, a hearty grin on his face.

"Hey," Link greeted back with a small smile. In his hand was a vanilla ice-cream cone that he occasionally licked. "Have you seen Marth?"

"Oh, him?" Ike raised a brow. "He's in his room. I delivered a letter to him, but… he doesn't seem to like me one bit."

"Marth? Oh yeah! The girly guy!" Pit cried, only to be rewarded with a smack on the head by Link. He cried out in pain, and rubbed the back of his head. "What was that for? It's true!" he defended.

"I know," Link nodded. "But Marth's still… a bit depressed by what was going on."

"Depressed?" Pit tilted his head. "Why?"

"I think Peach could explain it best," Ike spoke as he grabbed a pork chop and gulped it down in practically one bite. "She told me what was going on with him."

"About what?" Pit, being the cheerful angel that he was, was quite nosy. The dork. "It's not like he has a lover who was genderless!"

"Pit, please..." Link sighed, his hand raised as if ready to smack Pit again.

"All right, all right..." Pit laughed.

"Well..." Ike shrugged as he took a bite out of a chicken leg. "You heard of that Roy guy, right?"

"Oh yeah!" Pit cried. "That guy who left this tournament!"

"Yeah. Marth apparently has a crush on Roy."

"Ooooh, so they're both in love?" Pit's grin grew wider from here, to which Link smacked him over the head. "What? I wasn't teasing this time!"

Ike chuckled at the two. They were perfect foils for each other: Pit being cheerful, and Link being the serious type. He could sense a rivalry in the making. "Sort of," Ike answered Pit's question. "All I heard was that they were only lovers for a few minutes before Roy had to leave."

"Awwww," Pit frowned. "That sounds so sad!"

Another smack on the head.

Ike shook his head at the two, though as Link and Pit began arguing, Ike began to think: perhaps the Mansion had been more accepting when it comes to gay love. He remembered falling in love with Soren, his chief tactician during both the wars he went through, but he kept his feelings hidden out of fear of what his friends and family would think. In fact, he didn't even say goodbye to Soren or even anyone in particular before he left to go to the tournament.

Come to think of it… he wondered what Marth was doing now since he delivered the envelope?

* * *

 _Dear Marth:_

 _That is totally fine. Call me love anytime, love. And I'm quite surprised that the delivery went soundly. I honestly expected that it would get lost! But I'm glad that it was sent to the right place! And so far, we're doing fine: there was a funny incident where it involved Lilina, a healer that we recently recruited, and your pair of underwear that I brought with me (what? I wanted to bring it with me, heh). I rather not disclose it here out of fear that our enemies would find this. And same here; if I ever died, I would never forgive myself as well. I mean… who would be there when you have those nightmares? I'm sure you'd be heartbroken, but don't worry; we're doing well so far. I guess all that sparring with you had paid off!_

 _I miss you so much too, Marth. But I promise you this: I'll come back to you safe and unscathed. That's my goal in this war—to get out of this alive. Granted, I wish I shouldn't be fighting, but I have to do this for my country. You'll probably do the same if this was your country. And that's not forward at all! Every night, I think of how we'll settle down and what life would be like when we do so. It does help me sleep despite everything happening around me! I agree: it would be the best years of my life, spending it all with you. Reading that made me even more determined to keep it up. I'll live on. For your sake._

 _I hope that you're doing well in the Brawl tournament. It's a shame that I wouldn't be there to cheer you on as you kick some serious butt, but I'm sure you'll win this!_

 _Take care, love._

 _-Roy_

 _P.S. Don't worry about the candle-wax and the wine—the army had been celebrating our recent wins. I refused to drink though—despite the fact that here, the underage drinking laws weren't around (though I do miss drinking soda back at the Smash Bar. My father still NEVER let me live down the time where I mistook some wine for apple juice!). And don't worry—I've been sleeping well. Besides, if I do stay up to study our tactics, Wolt would drag me to bed, heh._

* * *

Marth couldn't help but smile brightly. Roy was such a dork—which added to his charming appearance and his amazing personality. Without hesitation, he sat down beside the desk and began writing a response, totally knowing what to say now.

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _Dearest Roy,_

 _Well then, I will call you love then, love. Heh, when you return, I want to hear what happened in that incident; it sounds hilarious. And don't worry—you didn't steal my underwear—you wanted to bring something with you so that you could remember me by. Though that was probably the only thing you could take with you after that silly argument pertaining to that, heh. I just hope that you're doing okay; if anything, I wished I could go to Pherae, so I could help you with this war, but A. the Hands wouldn't appreciate me leaving in the middle of the Brawl tournament, and B. I'm sure that my country wouldn't want to go into yet another bloody war. But I still hope that you're okay out there even without my help._

 _Please keep to that promise, Roy; I'll never forgive myself if you ever did die on me. I know that I have faith in you, but you know me—I'm a worrywart when it comes to others' safety. When you do return to me, I've been thinking about us settling down, combining our countries, and living happily. I've always dreamed of having a boy named Anri, after my legendary ancestor. He would have blue hair, though I'm not sure where we could find a child with blue hair in the orphanage (even though that type of color hair is common in the Fire Emblem universe…). I could imagine us spoiling him rotten, since he's a male and possibly the new wielder of my sword, Falchion. Though I could imagine him being a bit of a jerk because of how spoiled he was, but we'll still love him either way. I could imagine that he could have an older sister who's very protective of him, but I hadn't thought much of her yet. But that's just me daydreaming and rambling, hahaha._

 _I've been doing well, actually. So far, the tournament hadn't started yet—the Hands said that they wanted to let the newcomers settle in before that—but I hope I could win this. For you, in fact._

 _Anyway, you must be busy with your tactics, so I'll end with this: I love you, Roy. Stay safe and please be careful._

 _-Marth_

* * *

Marth smiled widely, reading his response over and over again to make sure that there wasn't a single mistake in his writing. Thankfully, there were none, so he folded it up into squares, placed it in the envelope, and he licked the sticky part of it. He then closed it and ran out of his room, intending on mailing it.

When he ran in the living room, he didn't realize that he was running straight to someone. In fact, he was so occupied by his thoughts of Roy and his letter that he bumped into someone. He fell on his butt, the envelope falling on his side. Groaning in pain, he rubbed his backside and was about to get up, but he saw a gloved hand right in front of him, as if whoever he bumped into was trying to help him up.

"Sorry about that!" the person said in a cheerful voice.

Marth raised a brow before he glanced up. His frown intensified upon seeing who this was. Pit. The angel had a wide grin on his face, his blue eyes sparkling like the ocean's waves as Marth stared at the spiky hair.

 _Roy…_

Instead of accepting his hand, Marth got up himself as he picked up the envelope. Pit raised a brow, tilting his head. "Hey," he spoke. "What's wrong? If you don't want my help, you could just say so!"

"..." Marth sighed, rubbing the back of his blue head. "I've… been avoiding you, actually."

Pit's eyebrow rose even further. Marth, however, decided not to say anything else lest the tension between them grew stronger, so he walked off.

But like Peach, Pit didn't take that as an answer as he ran in front of him, blocking the door that lead out of the Mansion. "Why were you avoiding me?" Pit asked. "You were so nice to everyone here. What did I do that made you avoid me? If I hurt you, I'm sorry. Honest!"

Marth frowned. Clearly, Pit wasn't going to let this slide. With a loud sigh, he glanced right at Pit's eyes—it even hurt him to look at them, since they reminded him _too_ much of Roy—but he finally confessed, "The way you look… your eyes… and your hair... you remind me of Roy."

"Roy?" Pit tilted his head before he grinned. "Oh yeah! That guy who left the tournament."

"Yes..." Marth said, not breaking eye contact with the angel. "It just hurts to look at you because you remind me of him. Ever since he left the tournament, I…" Marth knew that he should stop before going any further. Even though Pit wasn't showing it, Marth could tell that he was hurt by his brutal honesty. Finally breaking eye contact with the angel, he apologized, "Forgive me for how I was acting… I've been..."

"Aww," Pit said in a cheerful voice, much to Marth's surprise. With anyone else, his brutal honesty would hurt them to the point of crying or getting angry at him, depending on who it was. But with Pit, he seemed to… understand. Unless he was hiding his hurt? "You must've missed him!"

"I do..."

"Do you love him?" Pit suddenly asked.

Marth's face turned a bright red. How in the world did _Pit_ figured this out? Unless Peach had opened her mouth about their relationship… no, Peach was a woman of her word, and even the most brutal of torture wouldn't force her to spill secrets! But how did Pit learn this?

"I… I guess so..." was all Marth said, his face still a bright red. He could deny it, but at the same time, he didn't want to. It was true—he was in love with Roy.

"Hey, there's no need to be embarrassed!" Pit laughed. "I know how you feel!"

Marth raised a brow at Pit's confession. Pit was also gay? Who was he in love with? "You… too?"

"Well, sort of," Pit scratched the back of his head. "You see, my lover isn't even human. She—or rather, they—is a Nightmaren, I think they're called."

"They?"

Pit nodded. "Yeah! Though she prefers to be called a girl, she's actually genderless. Despite that, though, I love her! Even though she's genderless, male, female, or whatever, I still love her!"

Marth's frown then changed into a smile. Even though this "Nightmaren" wasn't exactly the same as Roy, Pit's lover was in fact genderless, though she preferred to be called a female. This had comforted him somewhat. "So you're okay with any kind of love, even between two males?"

"Of course!" Pit said, raising his fist proudly. "It doesn't matter if both people are male, female, or if one of them's the opposite gender or even genderless! Love is love, as what Lady Palutena had told me."

Marth's view on Pit then changed. All this time, he thought that Pit was Roy's second replacement, and he thought that Pit's cheerful demeanor was annoying. But now that he saw the angel in a new light (no pun intended), he started to like him. He smiled a bit wider.

"Pit… thank you," he said. "I wish everyone has your viewpoint."

"Well, they need to learn from the great Lady Palutena!" Pit joked, a silly grin on his face.

Marth chuckled beside him, rubbing the back of his head. Though even if he liked Pit, that didn't mean that he'd give Ike a chance—he was still salty about that mercenary and how he had replaced Roy in the tournament. Same with Pit—despite his viewpoint, he was still hesitant with the angel.

"Hey," Pit said, glancing down at Marth's hand, which was holding the envelope. "What's that?"

"Oh, this…?" Marth looked at the envelope, and his face turned a bright red again. "That's… something for Roy."

"Ooooh, a love letter?" Pit grinned as his wings flapped excitedly. "I wish I could send letters to my lover. Though her world doesn't have any mail offices..."

"You could still visit her anytime you want to via portals outside the Mansion," Marth smiled. "Or ask the Hands if she could be invited to the next Smash tournament."

"Oooh, good idea!" Pit's already huge smile turned bigger. "I'll ask the Hands right away if they could send an invitation to her in the next tournament!"

With that, Pit ran off to the Hands' office, leaving the door unblocked. With his smile still on his face, Marth left the Mansion to walk towards the Mail Office. Perhaps Pit wasn't so bad after all…

* * *

After sending the letter out, Marth returned to the Mansion, where he was met by the famous Mario. The fat plumber bowed to him, a small smile on his face. Marth simply nodded at him.

"The Hands-a are preparing the tournament," Mario said. "He asked all the Smashers to come to the Smash Auditorium."

Marth nodded. "I shall, Mario. Thank you."

Mario tipped his cap before he walked away, possibly to go to the Auditorium. Marth breathed a sigh. The tournament was already starting, which meant it was time to fight. Marth didn't want to, however—he was still depressed about Roy—but for Roy's sake, he _will_ win this. He just needed to stop slacking and train again, which admittedly, he hadn't been doing so since Roy left, so his skills could be rusty.

He walked down the hallway towards the Auditorium, but he then bumped into Pit again, who was glancing around the hallways.

"Hello, Pit," Marth greeted.

"Oh! Marth!" Pit greeted back, his bright smile on his face. "You came at just the right time!"

"Hm?" Marth raised a brow.

"Could you help me?" Pit asked. "I can't find the Smash Auditorium anywhere. The Mansion's huge!"

Marth hesitated. Of course, he still disliked Pit somewhat, but at the same time, he liked him. He wasn't sure why—possibly because of Pit's view on gay love. But that didn't mean that every time he looked at Pit, he doesn't get depressed because of how similar he was to Roy.

However, being the veteran of Smash and Pit being the newcomer of Smash, Marth nodded—it was common courtesy in the Mansion to help a newcomer, after all. "All right. Follow me."

Pit's wings flapped, and his cheerful grin appeared on his face again. "Thanks, pal!"

Marth frowned, but he made sure that Pit didn't see it—Pit wasn't _exactly_ a pal to him. As he led Pit towards the Auditorium, the angel had been talking nonstop about his adventures in Skyworld—which Marth guessed was where he lived in in his world.

"And then I flew in the sky with Lady Palutena's help, and I was all 'BAM!' to all of the enemies with my trusty bow! Man, I wish you could've seen their 'uh oh' faces when I shot them down!"

Marth totally ignored Pit's rambling about his adventures—instead, he found the Smash Auditorium, to which he thought, _Thank Gods…_ "Here it is," Marth said, pointing at the door that led to the Auditorium.

"Aw, sweet!" Pit cried. "Thanks Marth! I owe you one!" With that, he ran into the room, with Marth reluctantly following him.

Marth glanced at the large screen that hung on the side of the Auditorium. He saw all of the Smashers' names on there—sometimes there were four names, sometimes two, others three. They were match set-ups, as Marth searched for his name there. Apparently, today at four PM as Match 15, he was fighting against Lucas. He heard of the young boy—he was timid, but his PSI attacks were nothing to be laughed at. He then saw his name right beside Lucario's, which the match would start tomorrow at eleven AM as Match 31. He heard of the Pokemon—apparently, he fights with aura powers, and, weirdly, was also Steel type besides his Fighting type. He still hadn't figured out why he had that Steel type—he didn't look like one at all!

When he looked forward, he saw Pit also glancing up at the screen, a large grin on his face. Then he turned to see Marth looking at him, and he waved. "Hey Marth! I need some advice!"

Marth groaned, but not loud enough for Pit to hear. He approached the angel, who was still staring up at the screen.

"Do you know who Samus is?" Pit asked. "I heard that he's tough."

"Oh, Samus?" Marth said, looking at the screen. He could see Pit's name beside Samus', and their match would start today at five PM as Match 28. "Well, _she_ is quite powerful. She could drop bombs on you if you're not careful. If you don't have a projectile, she could be difficult to fight."

When he turned to face Pit, he saw his face turning red—apparently from realizing that he called Samus a male by accident. "She? Whoops," Pit laughed.

"At least Samus isn't around to hear that," Marth chuckled.

"She sounds tough though," Pit commented. "But with my trusty bow, I'm sure that I could win! Plus, I have this cool shield that Lady Palutena gave me, and—"

When Marth glanced up at the screen again, his eyes widened, ignoring Pit's chattering once again. He stared at the screen in shock, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Tomorrow, at seven PM as Match 49, he was up against Ike.

* * *

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed!**

 **Also, bonus points to anyone who could identify who Pit's "lover" is! Hint: that's my old OTP when I was younger if you read any of my older fanfics XD**


End file.
